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STATE MISSIONS: Parent’s Actions Speak Louder Than Words
Paul White
“Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house, because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying” (Luke 8:40-42 NIV).
When I held my son in my hands for the first time, I realized just what a giant responsibility it was to fill the shoes of a parent. In our text, we meet a parent who had taken his responsibility seriously. He was a parent who realized that the greatest gift we can bestow upon our children is introducing them to Jesus because it is Jesus who gives life and sustains it. The underlying truth of this text is that, without Jesus, our children will die in their sins.
Being a God-fearing parent, he may have heard Jesus speak before. Undoubtedly, he had heard of His wonderful works, and he was a parent who loved his daughter. Her name is not mentioned. Why? Because this is no fictional story written for our entertainment but a wonderful truth that gives us hope every day for the future. Being 12, she was able to form an opinion of her father and knew he was a well-respected member of the community. I wonder if she considered him old-fashioned and out of touch like many teenagers today.
One thing she knew was her dad was not ashamed to seek Jesus. He didn’t come in the night. He came because his daughter was sick, and no parent wants to see their child suffer. Notice that he fell at Jesus’ feet without hesitation. Parents need to spend time at the feet of Jesus. Also, notice that he went himself and didn’t send someone to do it for him. Parents will be held accountable for how their children are raised because the buck is going to stop with us. It will be the parents who tell God why they did or didn’t take Him seriously.
Our country is in a mess, and many parents are so self-centered that, for many, life is all about them. While a male and female can produce children, it takes a special person to be a parent. Jairus was not ashamed to bring Jesus to the house. How about it, parents, if Jesus were to appear today and say, “I want to go home with you,” would there be things you watch, read or have lying around that you wouldn’t want Him to see?
Jarius begged Jesus to come to his house. Parents, we should pray daily for God’s presence in our homes. The text tells us as they were on their way to Jairus’ house. Remember where Jesus walked, the crowd followed. Can you imagine that phone call, “Honey, everyone is coming over to the house.” Oh, that God would give us parents who would bring Jesus into their homes. Parents, if you want to be a blessing to your family, lead them in prayer over the meal, and let them find you reading God’s Word. Be a parent who leads their family in worship and doesn’t just send them to worship.
“…There came a certain ruler and worshipped him…” (Matt. 9:18). Parents, let your kids see you honoring God by taking them to church, by honoring the precious Word by reading it unashamedly and by praying with and for them and let them hear you pray.
Last but not least, by living for Jesus, don’t be afraid to place your child's welfare in the care of Jesus. When he got the bad news of her death, he did not dismiss Jesus because He believed that, even in death, Jesus was able to give life. We need to dedicate our children to the Lord. We need parents who will not just talk but will lead their children to seek God’s will. Remember, Abraham was willing to sacrifice his promised heir on God’s altar. God has a plan, and, just like with this girl, He wants your child to live eternally with Him in Heaven. This was a tough time for these parents, but in Luke 8:50, Jesus said, “Do not be afraid only believe and trust God and she will be made whole.”
Mom, Dad, what do your children see in you? Do they see a parent who is not ashamed to seek the Lord? Do they see a parent not ashamed to bring Jesus into the house?
I will close by saying sometimes our loved ones do die prematurely. That is why it is so important that we parents do everything in our power to introduce our children, and children in general, to Jesus.
From Our Missionaries
Misión Creciendo en Cristo (Growing in Christ), North Little Rock: Juan Carlos Posadas writes, “During the week, we were working on the pupusas sales promotion, which would be the last activity to raise funds for the youth who will participate in SOAR 2024 student conference. Karla, a Salvadoran lady, led the entire process. She and Guadalupe prepared the sauces and salads that accompany the pupusas.
“On Saturday, starting at 8:30 a.m., we were already at the temple getting ready to cook them. At 9 a.m., we already had 250 orders, which was the goal for the day. While Karla, Emelda, and Consuelo made the pupusas, the young people packed the sauces and salad, and then those that had to be delivered were taken to their buyers. We ran out of corn flour and cheese, so we had to buy more to finish the other ingredients. At 5 p.m., we had already finished and sold 308 pupusas. We thank God for the willingness of the sisters to help the youth in this fundraiser.
“We had the Lord’s table on Sunday, and the preaching was based on Luke 22:7-23. We talked about the institution of the Lord’s table. Learning about the Passover and unleavened bread and their meaning was a good opportunity.”
Ebenezer, West Little Rock: Ruben Isturiz writes, “We had an inspiring celebration service last Sunday. Our worship form is very varied each Sunday. The order of service is participatory, where there is an opportunity to give thanks to God through testimonies and how God has been evident in our lives during the week. Each week, we hear the testimony of how Neymar continues to recover from cancer. We pray that very soon he will be able to be physically at Ebenezer and not just online.
“The ministry I have as baseball chaplain is going very well. I have been the only Hispanic chaplain here in the city. There was a chaplaincy ministry on the team for many years, but none of the Hispanic players attended. That’s when I was asked to be a chaplain for Spanish-speaking players. Since then, the Hispanic players have attended 90% to 100%. I believe God has given me His grace to connect with the boys. Keep praying for this ministry, and again, thank you for your prayers and support. Without your support, our task would be very difficult to do. To God be the glory!”
Faith Chapel, Flippin: Johnny Shew writes, “We had a great week at Faith Chapel! We had a good number for worship Sunday, even though we are in that summer mode now when families are camping or traveling, and we are still having some out sick. We also had some return visitors, and we loved that.
“We are working hard to get the floors cleaned up in the new building so we can finish them. The final HVAC hookup is being done, as well as the final electrical and some suspended ceilings in the bathrooms and around the baptistry. We will start installing doors and trim soon. The big delay is in the final plumbing and cabinets because they have to coordinate, and both are backed up. We are just praying for God to work that out for us, get them together and fit us in as soon as possible so we can move into the main part of the building. We need plumbing to do that. After we have moved in, we will continue working on the classroom addition. We ask that you join us in prayer for that, in God’s will and His timing, this building will be done, and we know that will be the best possible outcome.
“We thank you again for all of your prayers and support. Your faithfulness humbles us.
“PS. I love that so many of you actually read what I write here every week! It is encouraging to me!”
Faith Journey, Benton: Bryan Clay writes, “Every day in the Lord’s house is a great day, but today at Faith Journey was a real blessing! We have had some of our folks traveling on a mission trip to Belize for the last six weeks, and they were finally back in attendance with us this week! We sure did miss the time we got to worship together, so we made up for those weeks tonight with a fellowship and worship time.
“Our message this week was about being ambassadors for Christ and being willing to speak out in boldness, not only for lost souls but also into the lives of fellow believers. We need to be lifting one another up in Christ and speaking truth into their hearts through God’s Word.
“After we dismissed, everyone stayed around to visit and love on each other for another hour. We are growing closer as a congregation and enjoying getting to know each other, sharing common experiences and learning each other’s burdens through our love of Faith Journey. It was a pleasure to see what God is creating within our mission, and it is exciting to see where it is going in the future.”
Misión Gracia Soberana (Sovereign Grace), NWA:Roberto Marcelletti writes, “This week, we have dedicated ourselves to cleaning the sanctuary and are preparing one of the offices to have as my office. We moved some furniture and have a group of very faithful brothers and sisters who have helped us.
“I thank God that He has heard my prayers and Bro. Frank spoke to me and I am going to begin training him for leadership.
“Saturday morning we gathered at church and had a time of devotion and prayer to prepare our hearts to serve on Sunday. In our Sunday service, God surprised us by bringing people to visit us for the first time. We had a beautiful time of collective worship, and then I continued with the expository series of the book of John.
“We continue praying for the commitment of the brothers and for our finances to grow.”
Epic Life, Pea Ridge: Jake McCandless writes, “In a couple months, we hit the two-year mark of being church planters in Pea Ridge. We had a moment to reflect on the journey this week.
“Pea Ridge had their first summer fair in decades. This was a big deal for those who grew up in Pea Ridge. Of course, we went the first night! The girls were riding some rides nearby, so Amanda and I sat down and ate some less-than-stellar snacks. It was the first moment in the three hours we had been there when we weren’t talking to people.
“Amanda mentioned how, just a couple of years ago, she felt she needed to leave Rogers School District to teach in Pea Ridge so we could build relationships. This was even before church planting was on our radar. It was simply a step of obedience fueled by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It was a big decision because it was a significant pay cut for her. She shared how thankful she was because there was hardly a student or parent there she didn’t know. We even rode rides with students she had the last couple of years. (She was thrown up on by one, too, but that’s a different story.) Her move was already in place when we began as state missionaries. The bonus is that we have an inroad into the community, which has been such a blessing for our kids. The Lord is worthy to be trusted and praised!”